Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40876844›Full record

ArticleInflammatory bowel diseases2025

RELA Haploinsufficiency Manifesting as an Atypical Phenotype of Crohn's Disease.

Noa Tal, Liran Baram, Arne Gehlhaar, Weihong Gu, Siqi Guo, Eduardo Gonzalez Santiago, Atar Lev, Ortal Barel, Raanan Shamir, Raz Somech and 2 more

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Inflammatory bowel diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Noa TalInstitute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva 49202, Israel.ORCID 0000-0002-9376-5912
Liran BaramInstitute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva 49202, Israel.
Arne GehlhaarMedizinische Fakulaet Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69117, Germany.
Weihong GuDepartment of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States.
Siqi GuoDepartment of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States.
Eduardo Gonzalez SantiagoDepartment of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States.
Atar LevImmunology Service, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan 52621, Israel.
Ortal BarelThe Genomic Unit, Sheba Cancer Research Center, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan 52621, Israel.
Raanan ShamirInstitute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva 49202, Israel.
Raz SomechGray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
Liza KonnikovaDepartment of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States.
Dror S ShouvalInstitute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva 49202, Israel.ORCID 0000-0001-5980-2954

Funding

Function of T cells at the Maternal-Fetal InterfaceR01AI171980 · NIAID · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Liza Konnikova · 2022 to 2026
$3.5M
Deciphering Epithelial Signals in the Liver to Drive Inflammation and FibrosisR01DK129552 · NIDDK · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI YIMLAMAI, DEAN · 2021 to 2025
$2.2M
Liver-Gut Axis in Neonatal Anemia and Its Role in RBC Transfusion Associated Gut InjuryR01HL163043 · NHLBI · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI Mohan Kumar Krishnan · 2023 to 2026
$1.9M
Repurposing Pharmacological Agents for Inherited Mast CellDisorders of the GutR21TR002639 · NCATS · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI GLOVER, SARAH C, HAMILTON, MATTHEW J · 2019 to 2020
$535k
Peripheral Immune Development in Premature Infants with and without NECR21HD102565 · NICHD · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI KONNIKOVA, LIZA, TSENG, GEORGE C. · 2020 to 2021
$456k
Binational Science Foundation 2019075Cystic Fibrosis FoundationIsraeli Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and NutritionNCATS NIH HHS R21 TR002639NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL163043NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI171980NICHD NIH HHS R21 HD102565NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK129552NIH HHS R01AI171980NIH HHS R01DK129552NIH HHS R21HD102565NIH HHS R21TR002639Yale UniversityYale University pilot funds
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMutations in RELA, a key component of NF-κB signaling, are associated with dysregulated immune responses and inflammatory disorders. While immunodeficiency phenotypes associated with RELA haploinsufficiency have been reported, gastrointestinal manifestations remain poorly described. This study aimed to characterize the clinical, genomic, and immunological features of a patient presenting with an atypical Crohn's-like phenotype driven by RELA haploinsufficiency.

methodsWhole-exome sequencing was performed, and results were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Protein modeling, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and nuclear extract-based NF-κB activation assays were conducted to assess the functional impact of the identified variant. Immune profiling was performed using mass cytometry time of flight (CyTOF) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and compared to controls.

resultsWe studied a 17-year-old male diagnosed with pan-enteric Crohn's disease (CD), perianal fistulas, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, and chronic lymphopenia. Sequencing identified a heterozygous missense variant in RELA (c.587T>C, p.V196A) that potentially impairs RelA (p65) protein stability, confirmed by reduced activity and diminished protein expression. CyTOF analysis revealed decreased circulating T regulatory cells (Tregs), absence of mucosal Tregs, high apoptotic rates, and elevated IFN-γ induced levels, while scRNA-seq demonstrated a robust type I/II interferon signature in multiple immune subsets. Dysregulated mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) and cytotoxic CD4+ T cells exhibited upregulation of IL23R and ADAM12, further linking RELA dysfunction to enhanced pro-inflammatory T cell response and tissue inflammation.

conclusionThis study links RELA haploinsufficiency with CD-like features, Th1/Th17 polarization, and interferon-driven inflammation, emphasizing the importance of genetic evaluation in patients with atypical or refractory IBD.

Indexed as

Crohn DiseaseHaploinsufficiencyTranscription Factor RelAAdolescentExome SequencingHumansMalePhenotypeRELA protein, humanTranscription Factor RelAImmune dysregulationInterferonMonogenic IBDRELATH1TH17

Identifiers

PMID40876844
PMCPMC12558583

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.